A 65-year-old Beaverton woman was sentenced this morning to four years and four months in prison for embezzling nearly $500,000 from the Tualatin company where she worked as a bookkeeper.

Faye Louise Clemens, 65, was arrested May 17 and pleaded not guilty to six counts of first-degree aggravated theft and one count of first-degree theft, but last month changed her plea to guilty.

County prosecutor Chris Lewman said Clemens stole the money from Marine Lumber Co. in Tualatin over a three-year period, mostly through writing checks for cash and keeping the money for herself. Lewman said Clemens disguised her theft by recording the checks as business expenses.

Clemens' defense attorney David Audet said Clemens' behavior was the result of a "terrible gambling problem."

When given the opportunity today to address the judge, Clemens said, "I did something very wrong, and I'm sorry."

Washington County Circuit Court Judge Gayle Nachtigal asked Clemens what she had done to deal with her gambling addiction.

"I stay away from it all," Clemens responded.

Nachtigal told Clemens that wasn't enough and challenged her to take more stringent action to work through her addiction.

"You haven't dealt with the problem, which got you here in the first place," Nachtigal said.

Clemens gave her adult daughter, who attended the sentencing, a hug and kiss on the cheek before she was taken to the county jail.

For her guilty plea, three of Clemens' seven charges were dropped. She was sentenced to 52 months in prison, eight years post-prison supervision, and she won't be allowed to enter any establishment where there is gambling during that time. The state is still determining how much she will pay in restitution.